S.Amdt. 841

SA 841. Ms. HIRONO submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
her to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle E of title XII, add the following:

SEC. ___. ASSESSMENT OF THE EXPANDING GLOBAL INFLUENCE OF
CHINA AND ITS IMPACT ON THE NATIONAL SECURITY
INTERESTS OF THE UNITED STATES.

(a) Assessment.--The Secretary of Defense shall enter into
a contract or other agreement with an appropriate entity
independent of the Department of Defense to conduct an
assessment of the foreign military and non-military influence
of the People's Republic of China which could affect the
regional and global national security and defense interests
of the United States.
(b) Elements.--The assessment required by subsection (a)
shall include an evaluation of the following:
(1) The expansion by China of military and non-military
means of influence in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region and
globally, including, infrastructure investments, influence
campaigns, loans, access to military equipment, military
training, tourism, media, and access to foreign ports and
military bases, and whether such means of influence could
affect United States national security or defense interests,
including operational access.
(2) The implications, if any, of such means of influence
for the military force posture, access, training, and
logistics of the United States and China.
(3) The United States policy and strategy for mitigating
any harmful effects resulting from such means of influence.
(4) The resources required to implement the policy and
strategy, and the plan to address and mitigate any gaps in
capabilities or resources necessary for the implementation of
the policy and strategy.
(5) Measures to bolster the roles of allies, partners, and
other countries to implement the policy and strategy.
(6) Any other matters the Secretary considers appropriate.
(c) Report.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the
congressional defense committees a report on the assessment
required pursuant to subsection (a).
(2) Form.--The report required shall be submitted
unclassified form, but may contain a classified annex.
______